Office of Program, Policy, and Management

The Office of Program, Policy and Management (PPM) coordinates critical issues among the Bureau’s nine offices supporting the Bureau’s global crisis prevention, response, recovery, and transition work. PPM assists in the day-to-day management of the Bureau and guides the Bureau’s policy formulation, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of programs, budgeting, financial management, staffing and professional development.

Our Work

PPM manages funding for crisis prevention and recovery and is a leader in the Bureau’s work to empower vulnerable populations, especially in crisis situations. PPM works with the Bureau’s other offices to build resilience in vulnerable populations by reducing over-exploitation of natural resources, improving environmental health, and strengthening partner-country environmental governance.

Complex Crises Fund

Early intervention and the ability to respond flexibly and decisively helps mitigate escalating crises before atrocities occur. PPM manages the Complex Crises Fund (CCF) to help prevent crises and promote recovery in post-conflict situations during unforeseen political, social, or economic challenges that threaten regional security.

For example, since 2012, the Central African Republic has suffered widespread violence and ethnic clashes that have devastated the country and unleashed a massive humanitarian crisis. To avert further bloodshed and human suffering, USAID and the Complex Crises Fund supported efforts to foster inter-ethnic and inter-faith dialogue, bolster voices for peace, and improve access to timely and accurate information that dispels rumors that generate fear.

PPM supports USAID’s implementation of the U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (NAP), which aims to empower women as equal partners in preventing conflict and building sustainable peace and security and to protect women and girls affected by crisis and conflict. Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) incentive funds managed by PPM help to catalyze NAP implementation in the field and have supported over $16 million of innovative activities across 14 countries, as well as partnerships with regional institutions such as the African Union, to date. In West Bank & Gaza, for example, WPS funds are working to improve holistic access to justice and service delivery for survivors of gender-based violence. PPM also supports and coordinates training and technical assistance to increase the capacity of USAID staff and partners to integrate WPS objectives within their work.

Climate Change Resilience

Countries around the world are feeling the effects of climate change and these impacts can be significant in communities where natural systems are increasingly degraded and governance systems are weak or failing. The Office of Program, Policy and Management manages the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assitance's Global Climate Change (GCC) adaptation portfolio. The GCC activities aims to build resilience in disaster and crisis-prone countries by reducing the risks associated with climate change while harnessing opportunities to strengthen adaptive capacity and promote peace, democracy, human rights, and good governance.

For example, innovative GCC projects in three countries in the Horn of Africa are working to increase pastoralist communities economic and social resilience to climate change. The programs are focused on strengthening community governance structures and local peace centers as well as improving and sharing best practices for resolving natural-resource scarcity conflicts.